Altra Lone Peak 3.0

The search for the perfect trail shoe continues… but with the Lone Peak 3.0 we are definitively a step closer. Built for lightweight hiking, backpacking and trail running, the low profile and very flexible shoe has a very wide toebox and a narrow heel, which happens to fit my foot perfectly. These are quite possibly the most comfortable runners I’ve ever owned – they feel like slippers. The LP3 is non-lined so your feet do get wet from the outside, but the mesh on the top means excellent breathability and makes these very fast drying – you can actually feel a breeze through the mesh. They are zero drop, meaning the heel and forefoot are the same distance from the ground, to promote forefoot (not heel) first strike – much better for posture than shoes with a big cushioned heel, and designed to improve lower leg muscle and tendon performance. I’m used to that now and enjoy zero drop shoes for running and easier hiking routes. There’s also an excellent in-built gaiter trap for use with mini gaiters to keep grit out of your shoe – I’ve not seen this anywhere else and it’s ingenious. However, there’s an Achilles Heel. Altra is an American company making shoes for drier, sometimes rockier trails. A wonderfully sticky and soft rubber sole means excellent grip on rock, but shallow lugs mean poor grip on grass and terrible grip on mud. It looks like another shoe in their range – the King MT – may answer that issue, but that’s really the sole caveat here – beef up those lugs for the mark 4 and I’m sold for life. Apologies for the puns in this review! Lightweight at 275g per shoe.

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